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Sunday, June 27, 2010

a bad ending to an otherwise great day

"That thing is illegal. That thing is a weapon!" -- "FBI agent" who tried to steal my laser

The weekend was exciting as we went to two parties yesterday - one at my friend Lawrence's house and the other in the Santa Cruz Mountains. However, things didn't end too well. :-(

So our family friend Kitty invited us and several other families to her house for a barbecue lunch. Here are some pictures for those curious. It was super exciting to see the Jaus again after over two years. There was no shortage of food, all of which was delicious. I even got to show Lawrence my 200 mW laser. :-)

Later in the evening was the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. This is something we had been looking forward to for a long time. The railroad is right next to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - one of our favorite hiking spots.

The event began with a dinner of steak and corn on the cob. The meal was fairly simple but not too bad otherwise. Everyone then took the train to Bear Mountain to enjoy hot cider and live country music. I couldn't resist showing off my laser again. People were quite impressed, especially the ladies.

However, the evening turned sour when a guy claiming to be an FBI agent accused me of aiming my laser at aircraft - which is obviously illegal. I pointed out that the sky was clear, but he wouldn't listen. The guy then threatened to confiscate the laser - not that I'd have handed it over - and refused to acknowledge me when I informed him that he needed probable cause.

I became suspicious and asked to see his badge. Though he produced a wallet with the letters "FBI" and a logo on the cover, nothing inside resembled any official identification. He also quickly flipped through it as if to prevent me from getting a closer inspection. The guy looked nervous when I took his picture and demanded that I delete it - which I pretended to. He suddenly turned around and left when my parents came to see what was going on.

According to Mom, the scariest part is that he seemed to be trying to lure me to a secluded area away from other people. That was creepy as hell. I can't help but suspect that he had more sinister motives, in which case losing the laser would be the least of my worries. I'm not going to lie - sometimes I wish I had a gun.

The train brought us back to the picnic area. Lots of people got up to dance as the band played more country music. The three of us had some apple pie and a short rest before beginning our drive home. I've posted pictures and videos from the Moonlight Train Dinner Party on Flickr. The videos are also on YouTube.

Though I did my best to enjoy the atmosphere, our happy mood was ruined. I was afraid to take out my laser again even after the guy was gone. One thing for sure is that I'm going to report him to the authorities for impersonating a federal agent soon. Fuck that bastard. >:(

Update: I've posted a thread on my experience at Laser Pointer Forums. Please go there for the latest information.